Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

Yep, I've started in the upper half. I didn't have miasma domain. I think that besides 5 extra provinces the difference mainly came because Caelum needs Cold-3 and at that rate of expansion most of your provinces were probably far off of that optimal value

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

My plan was very simple, just plain old rush. I've set Scorpion King (SK) to research enchantment, until I've learned what was in the next provinces. So on turn 2 I've sent him to conquer indies. He was taking one province per turn going by perimeter (and avoiding things like knights). On every turn I was hiring a sauromance and set him to research enchantment. When the ench-3 was about to be ready I've sent extra sauromancers with few guards forward, so that I could expand not from the capital. After that everybody went into the battle with raise dead, 2 Groups went right away, 3rd couple of turns later, after that freshly hired sauromancers were searching for sites. By turn 8 or so Jotunheim has attacked me (trying to take provinces with some remote spells). And along the way I was hiring all mercenaries in sight, it wasn't very successfyul though, 2 companies has perished achieving nothing and only one company has taken few provinces.

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

Thanks for the details! They really help. I think I have the basic idea of how to use a SC pretender in the early game.

Does anyone regularly use a pretender that isn't SC? If so, I would love to see how you spend your first 10 turns.

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

I very rarely use a pretender without use in combat, but there are still more intersting things to do than a standard SC. For instance a Van F9W4 moloch makes awesome artillery (quickness + fire darts), while making your sacred troops and commanders fighting machines. Also a different tactic is to use a monolith with 9S4W3N; research teleport, body ethereal, astral shield, and breath of winter (note: add fire for fire shield when facing undead nations). While it has some obvious drawbacks, it can be very powerful when used correctly.

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

Setup
Standard Pythium
3 Order 3 Prod 3 Cold 3 Mis
Dom 6
Fortified City
Crone 2f2a2w3e3s3d3n

Research
Conj 2 Alt 2 Const 2 Thuam 1 (51rp)
Gems 4A 2W 2E 5S 2D
Treasury 660 Income 633 Upkeep 116
8 province
Notes: Library
Expansion Accelerating

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

1. Pretender/Setup
C'tis Desert Tombs
Order-3 Sloth-3 Heat-3 Death-3 Fortune-1 Magic-3
Dominion: 8
Saurolich: 9D
Watch Tower

2. Results
Research (37 rp): Evoc-2 Ench-3 Thaum-2
Gems: 11+1 F, 18+4 D
Treasury 251, Total Income 329, Upkeep 100
5 provinces

3. Future
When I have enough poison slingers I will have two armies of slingers and undead. Get to enchantment 6 and reanimate archers.

4. Comments
I will be converting death gems to pearls to search for astral sites. I'll be using fire gems to search for fire sites. If I get a hero I'll search for nature sites.

Re: 10 Turn Challenge!
 

1. Pretender/Setup

Zen's Conceptual Balance, Recruitable Rebalance
Argaia
Marignon, default settings
Order 1 Prod 2 Growth 1 Magic 1
Dominion 6
Virtue: Air 4 Astral 6

2. Results

Research: 43rp, Conj 3, Evoc 2, Con 2

Gems: 4F, 1S, 1N
Magic sites: 1 at home + 4 abroad, 2 of them are Arenas
Treasury: 643, Total Inc. 526, Upkeep 126
10 provinces: 4 of those were lightly guarded swamps, 1 Jade amazon Province, two Lizard provinces
Forces: 7 Witch Hunters, 2 Grand Masters, 1 Friar, 2 Fire Drakes, 7 Pikeneers, 32 Crossbowmen, 45 Men-at-Arms, 1 Spy, 1 Virtue

3. Future

Abuse Amazons and Lizards. Research Enchament and Evocation, then Construction. Start to use Virtue in combat after I get Copper Plate.